TRENTON, N.J. _Commissioner Harold J. Wirths of the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) announced today that a continuation of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) has been approved by Congress, but it will not become effective until the plan is signed by President Barack Obama.

A continuation of EUC, retroactive to December 30, 2012 and including the week ending December 28, 2013, is included in what has become known as the “fiscal cliff” deal struck by Congress. However, as of the posting of this release, the legislation was still awaiting the President’s signature. Please continue to monitor this website for updates on EUC.

The federal EUC program, since September, has offered up to a maximum of 47 additional weeks of Unemployment Insurance to people who exhaust New Jersey’s 26 weeks of Unemployment Insurance benefits. More than 132,000 unemployed workers collecting EUC benefits in New Jersey were notified last month that EUC would expire at the end of 2012 barring any federal action to extend the program.

If the President signs the legislation approved by Congress, unemployed people who have been collecting EUC benefits will continue receiving those benefits for as long as they remain eligible. If signed, the legislation also will allow EUC to remain available for unemployed people who exhaust state Unemployment Insurance benefits and qualify to collect EUC.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is an equal employment opportunity employer and provides equal opportunity programs.
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